Attendance & Punctuality

Overall school attendance for September 2016 - June 30th 2017 93%

Attendance & Punctuality

Every child in the academy is expected to achieve above 95% attendance.

If you are unable to attend your parents/carers must ring the Academy office (0191 5111930) as early as possible on the first day of absence. If no call or message has been received you will be contacted by the attendance team by a phone call, text message or home visit and you are asked to bring a note from your parents/carers when you return. If you have any documentation supporting your absence, such as appointment cards/prescriptions please provide these to the Academy to allow your absence to be authorised.

The Academy cannot authorise absence for days away shopping or looking after family. Parents are requested not to arrange family holidays during term time, as the government no longer allows us to authorise absence for this purpose.

Punctuality

Punctuality is an important part of self-discipline and is essential to good time management. Prospective employers always want a report on punctuality at the Academy. You should bring a note explaining the reason for late arrival and report to reception. Students who arrive late without a valid reason will be issued a detention at break time/lunch time the same day. Students are expected to arrive at the Academy no later than 8.30 a.m.

Attendance and punctuality are key to students success, as well as being top employability skills.

If you would like to discuss your child's attendance and/or punctuality, please contact the attendance team on 0191 5111930.

Holidays during Term Time are NOT allowed

If children are taken away for a two week holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and appointments, then by the time they leave at sixteen they will have missed a year of school.

Parents are requested not to arrange family holidays during term time, as the government no longer allows us to authorise absence for this purpose. If parents choose to take their child out of The Academy for a holiday they may be issued with a Penalty Notice of 60 per child if paid within 21 days or 120 per child if paid between 21 days to 28 days. A Penalty Notice is issued to each parent and failure to pay could lead to prosecution in Magistrates Court.

The Government have raised the level at which a child is deemed persistently absent.

From September 2015 persistent absence (PA) data will include all students whose attendance is 90% or less, this means if a Student misses 19 or more days over a full academic year they will be classed as persistently absent. If a student's attendance is 90% or less and medical notes have not been provided then the Academies Non-attendance Procedures may commence this may result in the case being referred to the Local Authorities Legal Intervention Non School Attendance Team. Which ultimately may lead to a 60 Penalty Notice, or legal proceedings may be taken in the Magistrates Court, where the maximum fine is ?2,500.